Gun-mounting for use on aircraft



R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I2., I9I7. v

Patented July 27, 192.0.

II SHEETS-SHEET l.

BEBE

Ifu/wm/bo/L HUBERT Auw N R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR -USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION r1L'ED1uvN1-112, 1917.

@9. QRBNANCE,

R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOB. USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION-FILED 1UNE12. 1917.

Patented July 27, 1920.

l1 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wa URUNANUL,

RI ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED .|UNE12, 19H.

Patented July 27, 1920.

Il SHEETS-SHEET 4.

RDBEHTAMJEN R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR USIE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, I9I7.

HUBERT ALJLJEN APPLICATION FILED IUNE I2, 1917.

Patented July 27, 1920.

II SHEETS-SHEET 6.

HUBERT ALLEN R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I2, 191.7.

Hansa T, Abbau w.. NM. wm N ,n E 7s I.. s b mm A u T um R M I m i 4 W s R. ALLEN.

GUN MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE I2. 1917.

w. mum/Wut,

I 89. GRDNANCE,

R.. ALLEN.

SUN MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE I2, 1917.

1,348,072, Patented July 27, 1920.

. I1 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

Hu BEAT ALIIIEN www I URUNANCi,

R. ALLEN. GUN MOUNTING FOR-USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2l 1917. n 1,348,072 Patented July 27, 1920.

1I SHEETS-SHEET l0.

` @9i URUNANCE,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l2, |917.

Patented July 27, 1920.

'11 SHEETS-SHEET l 1.

En .BERT AME N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ALLEN, OF CAVERSHAM, ENGLAND.

Application inea June 12,

T0 all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT ALLnN, engineer, a subject of the Iing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Lynwood, Kidmore Road, Caversliam, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Mountings for Use on Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun mountings as employed more particularly on aeroplanes and comprising an arm or bracket provided at its outer end with a vertical socket for receiving the pivot or pillar of the gun or its yoke, and an upright or post upon which the bracket is mounted both to pivot or swing horizontally and to slide longitudinally or otherwise supported so as to be adjustable vertically and laterally the said upright or post being formed of a rod or tube fixed at its lower end in the cock-pit or other place occupied by the gunner and held by stays at its upper end or in some cases fixed directly at both its upper and lower ends to frame members of the aeroplane by clamps which embrace the frame members.

My invention has for its object to enable all movements or adjustments of the gun necessary for its effective use in aerial warfare to be effected quickly and easily, that is to say, with little effort on the part of the man in control so .that the gun can be rapidly directed on any object to be fired at.

According to my invention I provide means coperating with the post or upright and including a clamping or gripping member capable of being rapidly released to enable the bracket or arm to be expeditiously adjusted in height or revolved about the axis of the post and in like manner fixed after adjustment. F urther I provide in connection with said post and bracket a counter-balancing device for the gun and its equipment, said counterbalancing device consisting of or including a spring or elastic member arranged to act on the bracket against the weight of the gun and its equipment as aforesaid. I also provide a yoke and brake of simplified construction for mounting the gun to turn about both vertical and horizontal axes on the end of its supporting arm or bracket. Other features of my invention will appear hereinafter as I Specification of Letters Patent.

GUN-MOUNTING FOR USE 0N AIRCRAFT.

Patented July 27,1920.

1917. Serial N0. 174,390.

proceed to describe more specifically different constructional forms of the same.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations at right angles of one form of gun mounting constructed according to this invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a modified form of construction.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sections at right angles 'through the post or pillar of a mounting illustrating a modified detail of construction.

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional elevation and sectional plan respectively of a further modified form of construction.

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan of a slightly modified detail of Construction.

Figs. 11 and 12 are elevations at right angles illustrating a further modified form of construction.

Fig. 13 illustrates in detail a modified form of gripping or clamping member applicable to the mounting shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the upper part of a mounting illustrating a modified form of construction in which the arm or bracket of the -mounting is adjustably jointed to the post or upright of same.

Fig. 15 is a transverse section of the form of construction shown in Fig. 14.

Figs. 16 and 17 are sections illustrating modified forms of control for adjusting the mountings.

Figs. 18 and 19 are a sectional elevation and an elevation respectively at right angles of an improved yoke for securing the gun on the mounting, fitted with an adjusting clutch.

Fig. 2() is a section taken along the line aoao Fig. is.

Figs. 21 and 22 are similar views to Figs. 18 and 19 illustrating a slightly modified form of adjusting clutch.

Fig. 23 is a section taken at 23-23 Fig. 21.

Fig. 24 is a section of part of a yoke illustrating a modified form of fastening for same.

Figs. 25 and 26 are similar views to Figs. 18 and 19 illustrating a further modified form of construction.

Fig. 27 iS a plan.

Figs. 28 and 29 are detail views.

The same reference characters are employed to designate similar parts throughout the different figures.

In the construction of gun mounting illustrated in Figs. 1 and :2 the main post or upright of the mounting is hollow and is formed of upper and lower telescopic tube sections a, a. the upper tube section c being constructed to slide in the lower tube section a and capable of being expanded at its lower end to grip the wall of the outer tube a such grip being preferably made more effective by suitably nurling the outside of the tube a near its lower end. For the purpose of expanding the tube ay various means may be employed but as shown in Fig. l an elongated block b is employed which is brazed to the tube a, split longitudinally and bored to receive a conical wedge Z1 fixed by nuts b2 on the lower end of an operating rod c. The tube a is suitably split longitudinally from the bottom end upward to correspond with the block Y; and is also slit transversely as shown at a, to facilitate the expanding action.

It will be seen that the operating rod c of the wedge b extends up the hollow post formed of the telescopic tube sections c a as aforesaid, and near the top thereof is connected with a sliding pin or plunger c which is guided in a slotted sleeve c2 fixed to a closing cap (l on the top of the tube a.

An operating lever e is pivoted at c* in a slot c3 in the plunger c and has a cam surface c arranged to bear on a fulcrum plate c2 on the cap (l and interposed between the cam surface c on the lever e and the inner end of the slot c3 in the plunger' c. As shown the fulcrum plate el has projections c3 on its underside which assist in keeping it in position on the cap (Z. One end of lever e has a handle near which a grip piece f is fixed to the post while the other end of lever e is connected with an india rubber or other spring g inclosed in a tube It and held at its lower end by a pin g abutting against the lower end of the tube (see F ig. l). Tube /L is fixed in the gun supporting arm or bracket z' which is carried on the upper tubular section (L of the post and may be inclined upward as shown or downward or be made reversible so that it can be set either way.

The normal action of the elastic or spring g on the handle e is to cause the cam portion e to raise the pivot c of the lever e and thus exert an upward pull on the rod c and wedge b attached thereto causing the wedge to expand the split block b which in turn expands the lower split portion of the tube (t against the inside of the tube ft', thus holding the two tubes aY n. forming the post rigid lengthwise when the hand lever e is released. 'hen it is desired to adjust the height of the post by causing the inner tube a to slide in the outer tube a the handle of the lever e is grasped together with the grip piece and the lever is turned about its pivot c against the pull of the spring g causing the cam portion e of the lever to roll on the fulcrum plate e2 in the direction in which its radius of curvature decreases thus bringing about a corresponding lowering of the pivot c* in relation to the post and a downward thrust on the plunger c', rod c and expanding wedge b to release the grip of the inner tube (t on the outer tube. It will be seen that the operations of releasing and adjusting the tube sections of the post are both effected while the hand lever c and grip piece are held in the grasp of the man in charge.

In order to counterbalance or resiliently support the weight of the gun and equipment and thereby to reduce to a minimum the effort required to raise or lower the gun when adjusting the height of the post as aforesaid an elastic cable is employed which is arranged to exert on the inner or removable tube section the upward pull required for counterbalaneing purposes. Elastic besides forming a very light and conveniently applied counterlmlancing medium also offers a more uniform resistance over a longer range of movement than a metal spring, and for this reason is very suitable for the present purpose.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the elastic cable j which preferably consists of strands of elastic inclosed in a braided cover with copper coupling pieces j j2 on the ends thereof is housed in the hollow post and passes over a pulley 7c mounted on a forked rod 1 in the post. The rod 7c is reduced in diameter at its lower end the portion so reduced being passed through a flanged disk Z which is loose in the post and a circular block lm which is pinned to the post the lower end of the rod also being bored to receive a pin 7a2 below the block m. Both the rod 7; and disk t can rotate in the post when one tube section is rotated within the other for purposes of adjustment.

Above the disk Z is a short tube or follower sleeve n capable of sliding freely in the outer' tube section c and abutting against the lower end of the tube section c. To sleeve n is connected the free end of the elastic cable j by means of a pin js which is passed through the coupling piece .7" on that end and through an inturned lug n formed by slitting and pressing in a part of the sleeve n.

It will be readily understood that the sleeve n is employed to facilitate the assembling of the parts and to avoid the necessity of attaching the elastic cable j directly to the tube a as although separate, the sleeve moves as though it formed a part of the tube (t and transmits the lifting effect of the cable to the tube. The elastic cable passes up um unuxirmui.,

over the pulley 7c and down again to the disk Z to which it is lixed by passing the coupling piece jg through an opening in said disk and inserting a pin through the coupling piece below the disk.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 the expanding block b is bored to receive two opposed conical wedges ZJ b having between them a helical spring b3 tending to force the wedges apart into the releasing position from the normal clamping position in which they are held by rods c and C20 connected respectively with the plunger c and the hand lever e. Lever c is pivoted in a slotted extension of the guide sleeve c2 of the plunger, the rod c20 being connected with the lever eccentrically to the pivot as shown, and the plunger to which the rod c is connected in this case is acted upon by the cam portion c of the lever e which under the iniiuence of the spring g normally depresses the plunger with its rod c and raises the rod 02 thus forcing the wedges b b into the expanding block Z) causing the tube a to grip the tube a in the manner already described. Vhen however', the handle of lever c is depressed against the action of the spring g a part of the cam c on the lever of reduced radius of curvature is brought opposite the plunger c permitting it to rise under the action of the spring b3 which raises the upper wedge Z1 and rod c attached to the plunger and at the same time the rod 02 connecting the lever e with the lower wedge Z9 is lowered thus releasing the grip of the tube a on the tube a.

In this construction the hand lever c is stamped out of sheet material and the gun supporting arm or bracket is likewise stamped out of sheetV material the stampings which may have pressed out stiffening ribs z" being bolted together and embracing the tubular section a of the post as shown. Locking means for engaging a groove in the pillar of the yoke described hereinafter which fits in the socket 2 at the end of the arm or bracket is shown in Fig. 5 and comprises a U-shaped slide o consisting of headed pins o 0 guided in sleeves or bushes 02 on opposite sides of the socket 2 and connected by a yoke piece 03 the bushes and pins being partly cut away to release the pillar` when the pins are pushed inward against a helical spring o4 interposed between the yoke 03 and socket 2. One of the sleeves o2 serves as a bolt -for fastening the halves of the socket together. l/Vhere two conical wedges are employed for expanding the tube a the lower part of this tube is preferably made detachable being formed with a tongue piece a3 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 for coupling it to the upper portion of the tube a which has a corresponding opening formed therein to receive the tongue, it of course being understood that the tongue is curved to agree with the curvature of the tube a. By making the lower part of the tube a detachable as aforesaid the nurling and other operations are also facilitated.

In the form of mounting shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the upper or movable tubular member a of the post slides on the outside of the lower or fixed member and is suitably split at its lower end which has a clamping collar 2') brazed thereon with jaws p normally forced together by a spring p2 connected with a hand lever e pivoted in a slotted link 293 carried on one of the aws and acting on the other jaw through a cam surface p4 and fulcrum plate p5. The contraction of the collar p causes the split lower end of the tube a to grip the tube a. Opposite the handle of the lever e is a fixed grip piece f which is grasped together with the hand lever to release the grip of the clamping collar and split lower end of the tube a on the tube a to permit tube a to be slid up or down thereon. It will be readily understood that this releasel is brought about by the turning of the hand lever e on its pivot against the pull of the spring p2 and the consequent withdrawal of the effective portion of the cam surface p4 from the fulcrum plate p5. Spring p2 may be either made of elastic as in Fig. 9 or metal as shown in Fig. 10.

For balancing purposes four straight elastic cables are employed in this case fixed at their lower ends in a movable or sliding disk or plunger Z and at their upper ends in a disk Z2 resting on the top of the. tube a or on an interposed abutment ring as shown. In this case the upward pull of the elastic cable j is transmitted to the gun supporting arm or bracket z' by a hollow thrust rod g of square section which is fixed to a cap piece in the top of the tube a and moves up and down with the tube a when that tube is caused to slide on the tube a for adjustment purposes.

In a further modified formi of construction as applied to a solid post 1' with sliding bracket s Figs. 11 and 12 the elastic cable is attached to a lug Z3 on the lower' fixing clamp of the post, passed through a guide in the upper fixing clamp over a pulley 7c at the top of the postl and is attached directly to the bracket 8. A sleeve s on the bracket s slides on the post r and is fixed by a cam lever s2 pivoted on a lug on the sleeve s and operating on the post through a loose block or shoe s3 working in a slot in the sleeve. At the same time the cam lever s2 can be used as a handle for adjusting the bracket on the post.

Instead of employing elastic on the solid post a helical spring may be used to counterbalance the weight of the gun, being placed on the post below the bracket.

' Fig. 13 illustrates a slightly modified form gaz.

of gripping and adjusting lever sA1 pivoted on a lug on the sleeve s and having a short gripping jaw s opposite a slot in the sleeve s said jaw being forced against the post r by a spring s?. To release the lever s4 it is grasped together with the sleeve s and pressed toward the sleeve against the action of the spring ST.

In some cases the gun supporting arm or bracket Figs. 11 and 15 is mounted so as to be capable of adjustment about a horizontal axis 011 the top of the upper portion a of the pest to enable the pillar socket 2 at the end of the bracket to be raised or depressed independently of the post. For this purpose the bracket '11, is formed with opposed tubular portions t mounted to turn about a horizontal axis in the two halves of a divided hollow T piece t secured by a bolt t: to the top of the post ci. The tubular portions t on the bracket z' are split longitudinally and transversely and have secured to them by brazing or other means split expanding blocks t3 bored to receive conical wedges t mounted on a rod t5 forced into the blocks by the action of the spring interposed between one of the blocks and a washered head on the rod tf as shown. rl'hrough the expanding action of the spring operated wedges t" on the split tube t in the T piece t the bracket i is normally locked to the part t and prevented from rotating therein. It can however be released for purposes of adjustment by a hand or foot lever not shown operatively connected by Bowden or other mechanism t? to one of the wedges t4 or to a sliding washer cooperating with a fixed washer on the rod t5 to compress the spring to. For counterbalancing purposes the bracket z' has a rearward extension or tail piece 3 connected by an elastic spring i* with a lug i on the upper part a of the post.

Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate further forms of hand operated levers e for adjusting the height of the telescopic posts and applicable in lieu of the hand lever c shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 16 the lever which has a cam e on the pivoted end acting on the fulcrum plate e2 is moved into the locking and releasing positions by hand. In Fig. 17 an india rubber .spring y/ is shown partly inclosed in the lever c to which it is xed at one end, while the other end is attached to a lug on the tube a of the telescopic post. The spring g tends to pull the lever into the locking position.

The gun is usually mounted on the bracket or arm 'L' as hereinbefore described with the aid of an internally channeled yoke or ring and for convenience of manufacture I preferably form the yoke in three parts or segments u u a2 clearly shown in Figs. 18, 21 and 25, two of which u u are each connected by hinge or fastening links or shackles 'a3 a* respectively to lthe other segments u2 at one end but are spaced apart at the other end and extended as shown so as to receive between them the upper end of the pillar or pivot o which is adapted to fit with its lower end in the socket 2 at the end of the supporting bracket or arm It will be seen that the ends of the segments u u u2 are bent around to form eyes or knuckles a5 u and those which receive hinge or pivot pins may be welded to prevent them opening, otherwise the hinge or fastening links or shackles u u are recessed as clearly shown in Figs. 28 to 30 to fit over the ends of the knuckles or eyes and thus take the stresses which would otherwise be transmitted through the pivot pins to the eyes.

As shown in Figs. 18 to 21 the yoke or ring is fastened by a shackle or link u'L tapped with a thread to receive a fixing screw uT which may be provided with a pin to prevent its falling out through being unscrewed too far.

In Fig. 24 a cam lever u1" is pivoted in the shackle u" and replaces the fixing Screw u?.

Fig. 25 illustrates another form of fastening. In this form the shackle or link u* is slotted at u8 as shown in detail in Fig. 28 and a tapped bar um of circular section but reduced at the ends is arranged to slide in the slots u8 and is traversed by a screw u held against endwise movement in the shackle by the milled turning head thereon and a collar as shown.

The pillar o is connected with the yoke pieces u u by a coupling pin o which passes through male and female clutch members w w formed respectively on one of the clutch members and on the pillar o and tightened by a lever nut lv2 on the pin o as shown in Figs. 18 and 2O or by a cam lever o3 Figs. 21, 28 and 25 mounted in a slot in the pin o and acting through a loose bridge plate or follower of interposed between the cam and the male member w of the clutch.

In place of the cone clutches as described any other clutch may be applied to the yoke.

I claim:

1. In a gun mounting, a main post. an adjustable gun supporting means carried by said post, means coperating with the post including a hand grip capable of either quickly releasing or fixing the relatively adjustable parts, and resilient counter balancing means for the gun and its equipment.

2. In a gun mounting, a telescopic post formed of upper and lower tube sections, said upper tube section carrying gun supporting means, and resilient means supporting said upper section from said lower sectio-n.` whereby to counter balance the weight of the gun and its equipment.

3. In a gun mount. an arrangement as specified in claim 1. said counter balancing means consisting of an elastic cable operase. @Rea/WCE,

tively associated with the gun carrying means to exert an upward stress thereon.

4. In a gun mount, an arrangement as specified in claim l, said counter balancing means consisting of an elastic cable opera'- tively associated with the gun carrying means, and a pulley over which said cable passes to enable its effective length to be increased.

5. In a gun mount, a hollowT telescopic post formed of an upper tube carrying gun supporting means and a lower tube in which the upper tube is mounted to slide vertically, said upper tube having a split lower end, gripping means for fixing the tubes together after adjustment, including a split block fixed to said split tube end and bored to receive a wedge, an expanding wedge in the bore of said block, and a hand operated adjusting lever at the top of said post for adjusting said wedge.

6. In a gun mount, the arrangementv specified in claim 5, said hand operated ad* justing lever having a cam portion, a fulcrum surface being provided on which said cam portion operates, a plunger pivoted to said lever and mounted to slide in the top of the post, a rod connecting said plunger and wedge, and resilient means connected with said lever for normally moving the same to apply said gripping means.

In a gun mount, a post consisting of a pair of telescopic tubes of which the upper is received within the lower and provided with a split end, said upper tube carrying a gun supporting means, a split expanding block secured to said split tube end and bored to receive a pair of wedges, opposed expanding wedges in the bore of said block, a hand lever mounted on said upper tube section, rods connecting said lever and said wedges for moving the latter oppositely,

and resilient means for normally moving said wedges to operative position.

8. In a gun mount, two relatively adjustable tubular members fitting one within the other, the inner member having a split expansible portion provided with wedge guiding means, a wedge in said guiding means, and means for operating said wedge to allow or prevent relative adjustment of said members.

9. In a gun mount, a post formed of telescopic sections, one of which is split and capable of binding frictional contact with the other, means for varying the diameter of said split section to hold the two sections relatively or to release them as required, a pull member operatively associated with said diameter varying means, a hand lever pivoted to said pull member and having a cam rocker, and resilient means acting on said lever to actuate said pull member for applying said diameter varying means to holding position, a fulcrum surface being provided against which saidv rocker bears.

l0. In a gun mount, a pillar, a clamping ring formed in three segments, two of which are connected with the other segment by hinge and fastening means respectively, the other ends of said two segments being adjustably connected with the upper end of said pillar.

l1. In a gun mount, a structure as specified in claim l0, one of said two segments of the ring carrying a cone clutch member and said pillar carrying the other clutch member, a pivot connecting said clutch members, and means acting with said pivot to force said clutch members together.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ROBERT ALLEN. 

